SPDR ETFs, the exchange traded funds platform of State Street Global Advisors, has listed its new physically-backed equity and fixed-income ETFs on the London Stock Exchange, making them available for UK investors.

The firm said the launch “illustrates SSgA’s focus and commitment to growing its European SPDR ETF business” and that the offering “complements the existing range of SPDR funds listed on the Euronext Paris and Deutsche Boerse.”

The newly-listed SPDR ETFs include emerging market equity and global equity products, which the firm says are the first European equity ETFs tracking MSCI All Country World Index and MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index, and the first European fixed-income ETF to provide investors access to local-currency emerging market debt.

“Our SPDR ETF LSE listing underscores our commitment to the UK, a large and influential market,” said Eleanor Hope-Bell, head of the intermediary business Northern Europe.

Meanwhile, yesterday the European Securities and Markets Authority added its voice to the growing chorus of concerns over exchange-traded funds, warning in a new consultation paper that it may introduce measures to restrict their availability to retail investors. ESMA is concerned that retail investors may be led to invest in very complex investment products which are difficult to “understand and evaluate”, and that the current regulatory requirements are insufficient for UCITS ETFs and structured UCITS funds. In particular, ESMA wants to develop safeguards to cover activities such as securities lending by synthetic ETFs.